


Only Human

by aoishmex



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24520093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aoishmex/pseuds/aoishmex
Summary: Being a doctor isn't easy. Sometimes even your best doesn't seem like enough.
Relationships: Adrian Devorak x Lucrezio Morgasson, Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Kudos: 3





	Only Human

Lucrezio slipped into the salon and quietly closed the door behind him. "Adrian. I wasn't expecting you. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," he apologized as he walked over to his visitor.

"Oh... That's alright. I'm sorry I came unannounced," the doctor replied.

Lucrezio looked at the man sitting on the salon couch in front of him with concern. His demeanor seemed gloomy and his voice had lacked its usual cheer. A trolley of tea sat untouched nearby. And after he had finished apologizing for his visit--which was something he never did-- the count already knew something was off. "Adrian?" Speaking his name was enough to get him to look at him again. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" Lucrezio asked.

Adrian hesitated. Then he gave a heavy sigh and looked down at his hands. His fingers twiddled a little as he thought of how to explain. "I... have a patient... who's not going to live much longer," he said at length. Lucrezio's brow furrowed but he remained silent to let Adrian continue. "He has an illness that has gone untreated for too long. And now there is no helping him." His shoulders slumped even as he finished speaking. "I did what I could but I can't help wondering if it was enough. And if what I did wasn't enough, what more could I have done? The patient told me it wasn't my fault--that he knows I helped him the best I could but-- what if it actually wasn't my best? Or what if my best wasn't good enough? I feel so inexperienced and useless." He sighed again and pressed his closed hands to his forehead.

The young count's chest tightened at the sadness he could see on Adrian's countenance. He stood, unsure what to do, before slowly reaching out. He swept a strand of Adrian's bangs from his forehead as he stepped closer. Then he guided Adrian's head against his torso and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I-I'm... not very good at comforting someone so... tell me what I need to do."

Adrian was silent for a moment. Instead of speaking however he pulled Lucrezio into his lap so he could rest his head in the crook of his neck. "This is perfect..." he said softly as he wrapped his arms around Lucrezio in return.

The count tried not to let the soft brush of Adrian's lips against his neck affect him too much. He stroked Adrian's hair a bit and hoped he couldn't hear the inappropriate way his heart was beating. He held the other for a while without saying anything. "Adrian... There is no magic that can heal an illness. That is a healing magic no magician has been able to discover or perfect. Illnesses go undetected and unmanaged all the time. And sometimes there are times where even treating the illness doesn't change the outcome. I know you did everything you could as soon as he came to you," Lucrezio told him. He made sure to keep his voice as calm and gentle as he could manage. He hoped his inexperience in comforting someone didn't make his words come out too harsh or unfeeling. "There is no use in going over the 'what ifs'. They'll only hinder your growth. Your best right now is good enough, and your best will continue to improve as you gain more experience." He tightened his hold a bit on Adrian's shoulders. "You can't save everybody, Adrian."

There was a brief pause. " _You_ did..." Lucrezio paused. "You and your parents saved all of Vesuvia from a possible invasion," Adrian clarified.

Lucrezio pushed aside the memories that wanted to push to the forefront of his mind at the event. He pulled back some and brushed his fingers along the other's jaw to get him to look at him. "And _you_ saved me," he reminded softly. He put Adrian's bangs back into place even if they didn't stay there. Adrian had saved him in more ways than one, though it was that cold winter day he was referring to now. He pulled Adrian back against him and the doctor once again settled into his neck. "You are not useless, Adrian." The hold around him turned into a steady squeeze. A long, slow sigh cooled his neck for a few seconds. He could feel Adrian relaxing slightly in his hold. It had him relaxing as well, feeling like his mediocre words had helped at least a little. He continued stroking Adrian's hair as he let the man gather himself. No one would bother them in the salon so there was no need to worry about someone seeing them in the somewhat suggestive position they were in.

At length Adrian released the squeezing hold and pulled back to look at him. "Thank you," he said with a familiar shy smile.

Lucrezio nodded softly. He glanced out of one of the windows at the setting sun. "Would you like to stay the night?" he asked.

"Actually... I'd like it if you came home with me." As soon as he had said it he saw the reaction he had expected. Lucrezio's brows scrunched and his eyes shifted away in discomfort. "My family won't mind," he said quickly. "They'll welcome you, I'm sure. Besides... it's not like you haven't spent the night before," he pointed out.

A blush rose to Lucrezio's cheeks. "That's not playing fair."

Adrian almost thought he saw a pout on the man's lips. He held back his laughter but didn't hide his smile. "Please?"

More color spread on Lucrezio's face. "Okay," he agreed with a bit of a huff. "You never bring a change of clothes with you anyway." Adrian laughed openly at that but couldn't deny it. Lucrezio was glad to hear him laughing again. "Wait here. I'm going to pack for the night," Lucrezio told him as he got off his lap. He turned toward the trolley, picked out a jar of tea leaves, and made Adrian a cup. "But first, you're going to drink this tea. I won't take no for an answer," he said as he held out the cup and saucer.

"Okay," Adrian acquiesced as he carefully took the china. "What kind is it?"

"Eucalyptus. Now drink. I'll be back as soon as I can," Lucrezio promised. Once Adrian had taken a sip of his tea he left the room to pack. Before going to his room however he stopped by Asra's room instead. He knocked on the door, waiting for authorization to enter before doing so. "Uncle Asra..."

The magician was sitting at the desk in his room, a small pile of books open around him. "Hmm?"

"Adrian invited me to spend the night at his home."

"Do you want me to leave Nissa with instructions so you can leave right away?" Asra asked.

"No, I can do that. It's just... his parents will be there this time."

Asra looked up from the books. He took in the young man's nervous look before it clicked in his mind what the problem was. "Oh... I'm sure you'll be welcomed. Ilya himself said the past is in the past."

"I remember..." Lucrezio wrung his fingers together a little. "Should I take a gift? Dad always took a host or hostess gift when we visited others' homes. But what would they like? I only have tea and... I think there are some pastries downstairs..." he said in a bit of a ramble of thought.

Asra chuckled softly. "I'm sure the pastries will be appreciated. You have the best pastry chef in the country, after all. I'll be at the shop tomorrow so you can come by and see me on your way home if you like," he told him.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you, Uncle Asra," Lucrezio said and turned to leave.

"Lucrezio." The count turned at his name. Asra gave him a warm smile. "You'll be just fine. Just be yourself and they'll love you."

Lucrezio blushed. Asra made it sound like he was meeting Adrian's parents for the first time and that it was a much bigger deal than it was. He nodded and slipped out of the room. He made quick work of packing his things for the night. He left instructions with Nissa on what to do until his return. A carriage was waiting for him and Adrian at the palace gates. A servant handed the count a box made up with a ribbon once they were inside.

Adrian looked at Lucrezio with an encouraging smile. He took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Ready?" Lucrezio took in a breath, let it out slowly, and nodded. Adrian smiled wider and opened the door to his home. "Dad, I'm home!" he called. He pulled Lucrezio inside and closed the door.

"Welcome home!" Julian's voice replied from another room. Footsteps neared them as his voice grew closer. "Did you eat dinner? We made sure to leave some for..." Julian froze when he saw their visitor. His eyes widened some in surprise. Lucrezio gave a respectful nod of his head in greeting.

"I invited him to stay the night. I hope that's okay," Adrian explained.

"W-Well I... um..." Julian stumbled over his words.

Illain popped into the room to save the moment. "Of course it is. Welcome to our home," he said with a cheerful smile.

"Thank you for having me," Lucrezio said. He held out the box in his hands. "These are for you. I hope you like them."

"Oh, you didn't have to bring us anything," he dismissed but took the box regardless. Illain pulled off the fancy ribbon to open the box. "Wow! They look lovely. Thank you so much!" Lucrezio felt himself relax some at his cheerful demeanor. He could see where Adrian got his cheer from. "So, did you eat? We have plenty of ingredients if you want to make something. Or there's some dinner left."

"We already ate," Adrian replied. He turned to Lucrezio. "Do you mind if we turn in early?" he asked a bit quietly.

Lucrezio understood things were still weighing on his mind. He knew sleep would be a brief reprieve of those things. "I don't mind," he said. He was there for Adrian, after all, so he was willing to do whatever he wanted. Adrian squeezed his hand again. He led Lucrezio through the house to his room still hand in hand.

Illain and Julian watched them leave. The shorter turned to Julian, still staring with his eyed wide and mouth agape. "Breathe, Julian. You're making him more nervous than he makes you," he pointed out.

Julian seemed to snap out of his shock. "Th-they were holding hands," he sputtered.

"Did you really have no idea until now?" Illain quirked as he headed into the kitchen with the pastries.

Julian ran after him. "You knew?!"

"I'm going to draw a quick bath. Do you want to take one?" Adrian asked once they were in his room.

"No, thank you. I'll wait here," the count dismissed. He sat on Adrian's bed when invited to do so. "Don't feel you have to rush just for me. I'll get ready for bed while you're gone." Adrian nodded and smiled. He gathered some clothes and left for the bath, closing the door behind him to give Lucrezio some privacy.

As Adrian bathed Lucrezio changed his clothes and got ready for bed like he had said. He brushed his hair, looking around Adrian's room even though it wasn't his first time being in it. When Adrian came back he was freshly bathed, changed, and looked much more relaxed than he had earlier. Lucrezio got into bed first. Adrian blew out the candle in the lantern and joined him. Lucrezio could feel the slight blush on Adrian's cheeks as he settled into his neck. Or maybe it was a lingering heat from the bath. They wrapped their arms around each other, Adrian's head tucked under Lucrezio's chin. He could smell the subtle scent of vanilla on the other's skin. "You smell nice..." he murmured.

"So do you." The unexpected honestly was a sign that Lucrezio was already falling asleep. Adrian knew it was the only time he was so honest with replied he normally would have found embarrassing. As if the need for sleep pushed aside whatever inhibitions were usually keeping him from expressing himself. "It's a calm, homely smell. Like anyone is welcome." Adrian smiled against his skin. Some silence passed and he was sure the count had fallen asleep on him. "Adrian..."

"Yeah?"

"I believe in you."

Adrian nestled closer against Lucrezio's warm body. "Thank you." He fell asleep to the steady sound of Lucrezio's breathing.

Lucrezio walked quietly down the halls of the Devorak home. The sun had woken him as it streamed in through Adrian's window. He slipped quietly into the bathroom, freshened up, and was now heading back to Adrian's room to get dressed. He walked slowly and carefully so as not to wake anyone since he didn't know who was still asleep or how much noise really carried into other rooms. Before he could make it into Adrian's room however he was blocked by another member of the Devorak household.

Rhys looked at him with bleary eyes, as if she didn't recognize him at first. Then an amused smile formed on her face. "No one told me we had a visitor," she said. "So you finally came to meet the family, huh?"

Lucrezio kept his features calm. "It's good to see you again," he greeted.

"I'm just glad I didn't hear you two last night. I had a hard enough time getting to sleep," Rhys spoke bluntly.

The count was unable to stop the slight hint of color that took his cheeks at what she was insinuating. He decided to focus on what more Rhys had told him. "You have trouble sleeping?" he repeated in an effort to get the conversation off himself.

"Yeah, insomnia is not fun but I think it sort of runs in the family. Dad has to be forced to sleep sometimes," she replied with an exaggerated groan.

The count figured she must be talking about Julian. He noticed the same dark circles around Rhys' eyes like he had seen on him. "Wait here," he told her, holding up a finger to indicate it would only take him a moment. He slipped back into Adrian's room, dug through his belongings, and picked out a small jar of tea leaves. He returned to Rhys in the hallway and placed the jar in her hand. "This is lemon balm tea. It's supposed to help with insomnia. Try it, if you like."

Rhys stared at the jar of leaves in surprise. "Thanks." The count nodded.

"Oh, you're up," Illain's voice greeted from the hall entrance. "Breakfast is almost ready. Would you like to join us?"

Lucrezio seemed taken aback. For a long moment he didn't know what to say. He felt like he was intruding even more than he had last night. Before he could say either way Rhys spoke up from beside him. "He's staying." The count looked at her.

"Good. I'll make sure we have enough chairs," Illain smiled. He disappeared from the hall again.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to stay?" Lucrezio asked quietly.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well... I don't want to intrude on family time..." he admitted.

"Relax! We're not about to send the count home without feeding him first!" Rhys grinned. Then her grin took a mischievous turn. "Especially when he's also Adrian's personal friend." She waggled her eyebrows before heading for the bathroom.

Lucrezio could hear her snickering as he went back into Adrian's room. Adrian was still fast asleep. Usually Lucrezio simply let him wake on his own. He had never tried to wake him up before. He reached down and gently shook his shoulder. "Adrian..." The man grumbled a bit. "Adrian," Lucrezio repeated.

"Yeah...?" Adrian asked, voice thick and husky with sleep.

"Breakfast is almost ready."

"Okay..." Adrian sat up with a yawn. He rubbed at his eyes as he worked to wake up. His eyes followed Lucrezio as he moved over to his bag to get dressed. "You're staying for breakfast?" he asked.

"It seems that way. Your sister answered for me," Lucrezio responded. He changed his pants before taking off his tunic. Changing into something simple but more appropriate to wear out and about. When he turned he saw Adrian watching him. "What...?"

"Nothing... I've just never seen you get dressed before. You're usually up way before I am," Adrian commented with a smile.

Lucrezio blushed. He was glad Adrian was in a good mood again. The sun bathed him in a soft morning glow and Lucrezio couldn't help enjoying his own view. He cleared his throat a bit before looking away to pack his things. "You need your sleep more than I do."

"Even on nights when I tire you out?" Lucrezio's eyes snapped up to him in evident shock. Adrian laughed at the quick flush of color that took to his pale cheeks. He pulled Lucrezio into bed and placed kisses to his flushed cheeks. Lucrezio's brows were scrunched in embarrassment but Adrian couldn't tell he wasn't too annoyed with him yet. He placed a quick kiss to the count's lips. Lucrezio pulled him back down for a proper one. "We'd better hurry or they'll start breakfast without us," Adrian said a bit reluctantly.

"Mm..." the other hummed in agreement. Though he, too, seemed reluctant to get up and out of Adrian's hold. They separated and Adrian got himself ready for the day. Lucrezio finished packing his things and brushed his hair. Adrian led them into the kitchen when they were both ready.

The table was set for five, the pastries Lucrezio had brought added to the spread. "There you are," Julian smiled. "We were beginning to think you had gone back to bed. Have a seat," he told the young count, gesturing to an empty seat with a sweep of his arm. Adrian waited for Lucrezio to choose a seat before joining him. Julian set some glasses on the table. "Adrian tells us you like fruit. I hope what we have is satisfactory. You probably get all kinds of rare fruit at the palace."

Lucrezio looked at the assortment of food that had been prepared. "Everything looks wonderful. Thank you," he said.

"Eat as much as you like," Illain insisted.

Once Rhys joined them everyone began to eat. The conversation was lively and cheerful. The Devoraks made sure to include Lucrezio in the conversation as much as they could. Lucrezio helped Adrian with the dishes once breakfast was over, and when the time came he thanked Julian and Illain for letting him stay before he left with Adrian. They walked silently for a while. The city streets began filling with people. Shops were opening and people moving about their daily lives. Fragrances, food smells, and chatter filled the empty space. Adrian made sure to stay close to Lucrezio as they walked so they didn't get separated. They reached the clinic first. Adrian pulled Lucrezio inside briefly so they could hear each other talk. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to the shop?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," Lucrezio dismissed with a shake of his head. "I um..." He hesitated, looking at his hands as he gathered his words. "I really enjoyed breakfast this morning." Adrian looked at him in slight question. "I... forgot what meals with a family could be like. And they all really made me feel welcomed in your home," the count continued. His voice quieted before he spoke next. "It was nice..."

Adrian smiled. "You're welcome to come eat with us anytime you want," he assured. He pulled Lucrezio to him in a gentle hug. "Thank you for comforting me last night."

Lucrezio hugged him back. "You're welcome." He gave Adrian a squeeze before pulling away. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," Adrian echoed. He kissed Lucrezio's cheek. The count looked away bashfully and turned to leave. He cast Adrian one last glance over his shoulder before stepping out the clinic door back into the streets. He did his best to hide the color that wanted to rise to his face as he headed for Asra's shop.


End file.
